The caption above reads: Hun Sen said "only Apsara TV, Bayon TV, CTN, SEATV, TVK etc... are independent because they broadcast only my speech. Radio Free Asia and Voice of America are not independent because they broadcast and interview everybody".
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The Cambodian government
summoned Radio Free Asia and Voice of America to discuss their
"professionalism" (AFP/File, Hoang Dinh Nam)
|
PHNOM PENH (AFP) — Radio Free Asia has accused the Cambodian government of intimidation after officials summoned the station and fellow US-funded
broadcaster Voice of America to discuss their "professionalism".
"The
meeting was nothing more than a blatant attempt to discourage objective
reporting on the government," RFA said in a statement sent to AFP late
on Wednesday following the meeting.
"The Cambodian government
clearly does not understand the principles of a free press or the
important role of independent media if it thinks it can intimidate RFA
and dictate what we can or cannot report on."
The meeting came
just a week after both stations, who broadcast news in the local Khmer
language, reported on the outcry that followed the jailing of a
prominent activist Mam Sonando for an alleged secessionist plot, in a
case decried by rights groups as a politically motivated attempt to
silence dissent.
Government spokesman Phay Siphan, who was at the
closed-door talks with representatives from VOA and RFA, said the
purpose of the encounter was "to strengthen the quality of
professionalism" in their reports and raise the issue of "paying respect
to the Cambodian culture".
"We don't accuse anyone," he said. "We
want a good relationship between media and the government... but the
free press has to be responsible."
But sources who also attended
the meeting told AFP that officials reproached RFA in particular for its
critical reporting, particularly its coverage of the Mam Sonando case.
"It
was clear the government was not happy with RFA's reporting," said one
source who did not wish to be named, adding that there was "definitely
intimidation".
VOA Khmer service chief Chris Decherd, who is based
in the US, said its reporters would continue to provide news "in the
same objective and professional manner" to the people of Cambodia.
"It is those citizens who are our audience. They deserve quality news that they can trust," he said in a statement.
In
a country where local mainstream media is tightly controlled by the
powerful ruling party, VOA and RFA are among the rare media outlets to
broadcast news critical of the government in the Khmer language.
Cambodia
is ranked 117th out of 179 countries in the 2011-2012 press freedom
index compiled by watchdog Reporters Without Borders.
8 comments:
be strong for our country, don't let rfa- voa fool u,
if any TVs or adios didn't broadcast his speech, they are biased. what about his radios and TVs which only broadcast his side of the story and attacking the oppositions non-stop, does he think that they are independent and professional?
SOME ONE ARE RALLY GOING MAD HERE.
Hun sh*t only sees one eye thatwise he doesn't knows what is fairness or justice,Hun sh!t is opposite,injustice is his justice,unfair is he fairness that the reason why he sees only one side.
Yes! What are you trying to say here? Hun cent blinded one eye how can he sees two side? its a joke right?
One eye but two ears just for listening his adviser, a lot of advisers from...?
Lets calculates your math:Ten stupid advisors were trying to advise one dump leader,okay,10 dumps advise 1 dump equal all dumps.Remember Crazy +crazy= positive/crazy, because they all crazy/dump and crazy+not crazy= Crazy or negative.Am I right who is the math's geeks in here?
Ykp
B strong for our nation n country don't let RFA&VOA fool u.especially don't let late Ho Chimihn down at all.bravo samdech Hun Sen !!!we are Yuon who fully support u at any circumstances to defeat Khmer nationalism bcos they try to destroy master plans of master Ho' to colonize Cambodia.
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